Return
by Dying Heart Alchemist
Summary: A cat/ed fic where Ed wakes up as a cat. Two years have passed from his supposed 'death'. I suck at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there! **

**This is my first story so (I know you don't hear this much)**

**criticize all you want!**

**I need the info to see how to better my writing!**

**I am by far NOT the best speller in the world so bear with me…O.K**

**(Jumps at the noise in the next room)**

**Oh and I am not sure if the dog's name is Dune, (or is it Doon? Not sure which) but I think it is close to it. Correct me if I'm wrong, o.k.?**

Return

Ch.1 Reincarnation

Sunlight filtered through the trees as a shape lay motionless under the shade of a tree. A small breeze shook the leaves above. The shape shifted slightly before golden eyes opened just to close again because of the bright light. Once the figure adjusted to the sudden awareness that flooded the small body, he sat up.

Ed was amazed how clear and crisp he saw everything… and how big everything seemed. He stretched and noticed something quite odd, his automail was gone.

He went to stand up and received the first big shock of the day… He wasn't in his own body! Actually to be specific he had an animal's body.

"What the fuck is this!"

Ed looked himself over and found out what he transformed into.

"I'm a cat," he deadpanned, "WHY THE FUCK AM I A CAT!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

He had also grown a few extra limbs. He had his right arm back… and a tail… but sadly he was still missing his left leg up to his knee… or what he supposed was his knee, hard to tell in an unfamiliar body. Also he had seemingly grown smaller (that pissed him off more than the tail).

After panicking for a few minutes his head slowly started working again.

"O.k. Ed, just calm down, think for a moment. What happened…?"

The last thing he remembered was fighting Envy and dying, and then Alphonse brought him back using the philosopher's stone.

Wait Al! Ed sacrificed his own body to get Al back after Al used himself to bring him back… but where was Al now? Is he alright? His head started to pound.

Panting, he noticed he heard water not too far off. Thinking there would be a town close to the river he decided to follow it. One truth stood clear out of all the confusion…he was hungry, extremely hungry. He tried to stand up only to plop right back down to the ground. Once again reminded that he didn't have one leg, automail or otherwise. After a few minutes of flexing and trying out his new body, trying to find out how to cope without one leg, he managed to find a way to walk with three legs.

"Nice and slow," he said to himself as he made his way to the running water.

He figured out later that his cat ears were much more acute then his previous human ears so he had misjudged the distance of the river from his location in the forest.

After trial and error he learned that if he moved his front legs then sorta jumped his back leg forward he could move at a good pace. He noted that the sun was still low in the east so guessed that it was still early morning around six or seven. He hobbled his way along thinking of nothing but stuffing his face when he got into a town. A while later he came to the edge of the forest after treading through soft forest leaves, three legs did not give you an advantage in such a small body.

Ed laid down by tree to rest, he kept telling himself that the river was right behind the next tree so you can imagine the relief he felt when he finally reached it. He was overjoyed to realize it was a river he knew. It was the river that led to his home town of Resembool. After catching his breath, Ed went down to the bank to get a drink. He leaned over the side of the bank and took a long drink, not caring what was in the water. He brought his head up to see two big round eyes the color of honey looking at him, it took him a second to realize they where his reflection.

He had the same eye color as before but his eyes were that of a cat's now. Instead of the round iris, he had a slit that seemed to be constantly adjusting to the light. His hair, or now fur, was gold just like his hair before, it covered every inch of his body and for the first time he notice he had no cloths on. That shouldn't have been a problem since animals don't weir cloths, but it was…unsettling…to say the least. He was a short haired cat with a really fluffy tail. This caught him of guard the first time he saw it… it isn't every day you grow a tail, but now he was starting to get used to it. That didn't mean he liked it, it still pissed the crap out of him.

He looked up to the other side of the river to the road. If he was correct in his assumption, a little ways down was a small bridge he could cross. He didn't want to risk swimming acrossed due to his missing leg.

"This is going to be fun," Ed said in a gloomy voice.

He started his journey that would have taken him at least half an hour if he was in his normal body but after walking (if you could call it that) and resting he got to the Rockbell's about noon. He was right in front of it when the thought hit him, 'Would they recognize him? Probably not. Could he tell them? Not sure if he could talk in this body. Sure he can hear himself but could Winry or Pinako? He was a cat after all, what if they just heard meowing? But he was hungry! They had to at least give a stray cat a peace of bread or something!'

He made his way to the back of the home and to a window that looked in to the kitchen. He jumped up onto few boxes that were full of old automail parts then onto the window seal to look into the house. He looked in and saw what he was expecting, the two Rockbells having lunch. His mouth watered at the sight of the pie they were having. Then in his daydream of food, he heard something that snapped him out of it. Alphonse name, so he listened in on what they where talking about.

"…so he will be visiting soon?" Winry asked excitedly.

"Yah, he called a little while ago," Pinako reported, and then her face drooped in to a frown.

Were they talking about Al? Ed felt relief, he was uncertain if Al had made it back. The rules of equivalent exchange had him wondering if he was alive that meant that he had failed the transmutation to bring Al back.

"It has been two years now hasn't it Winry?" Pinako said in a hushed tone.

There was a sad silence between the two. Winry lowered her fork away from her mouth.

"Yah…I-I just can't believe…E-Ed's gone"

Ed could see tears in both of there eyes. What had Winry mean by 'gone'?

"W-why d-did he have to d-d-die" Winry yelled suddenly slamming her fist into the table in full fledged tears now.

There Ed got his second great shock that day. He nearly had a heart attack right at that second. He stumbled backwards off the window seal and fell to the ground. He let out a scream that sounded more like a dying animal. He landed on his back…hard.

"Owwww… who ever said cats always land on their feet, they were wrong." He was silenced as he comprehended what he heard.

"Dead? I'm not dead I'm right here, granted I'm a cat but still…I'm here." The last part was barely a whisper.

Wait had Pinako said two years! It had only been a few hours ago that he and Alphonse where in that buried city…right? Again his head was pounding at his intense thoughts.

He was startled out of them when he heard a growl behind him. Expecting to see a bear or a large beast he wiped around ready for anything. Instead it was the Rockbell's dog, Dune, who was growling. Ed let out a sigh of relief but it quickly caught in his throat. Realization dawned on him as another growl left Dune's open mouth, that by the way had many really sharp looking teeth.

He was a cat…Dune hated cats…oh dear God.

**Tell me what you think!**

**I don't know if it is going to turn into an EdxAl yet **

**but I will see were my mind takes this.**

**Dying Heart Alchemist**


	2. Chapter 2

**Next chapter!**

**Hopeyoulike!**

**(thinks over pitiful life and sighs)**

**On with the show!**

**(Oh! I found out the dog's name is Den not Dune.)**

Return

Ch.2 Golden Furred Cat

Den was a good twenty feet from Ed but he knew that the dog could cross that distance in a matter of seconds. All that was going through Ed's mind at the moment was '_Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!_' Ed could remember the last time a cat dared to set foot on the Rockbell's property.

"_Grany! Den got a cat! Please help! It is all bloody!" Alphonse had rushed inside yelling as soon as (if not before) Ed told him to go get Pinako._

_Winry was crying while trying to hold back Den who was all but willing to finish off the poor gray animal who was desperately trying to get away. Ed was close to tears himself but held them back as he looked down at the struggling animal at his feet. He bent down and touched the cat, which freaked out even more thinking the dog was back. Den had broken one of the cat's front legs along with its back bone. It was bleeding from the nose, mouth, and other places around its body where the dumb dog had bitten it. The site was sickening._

_By the time Winry had taken Den and chained him up by the house, Pinako was bending over the little gray cat. It was obvious the cat hadn't had food in a while due to all the ribs you could see, this cat had no chance in fighting the dog (who for some reason hated cats with a passion)._

"_Oh dear, I don't think we can help the poor thing now." Grany said in a sad tone._

_Winry was crying even harder when she said that. Al had streaks of tears on his cheeks but wasn't crying nearly as much as Winry. Ed himself had little beads of water threatening to spill out of his eyes._

_The cat gave a violent twitch and an earsplitting yowl that sent Winry into a panic (which in turn made her cry harder then before) and made both brothers gasp. Pinako told them to go play inside while she took care of the cat. From the window from Winry's room they saw Pinako put the cat in a small box and took it behind the house then come back with the water hose to wash the grass where the fight had occurred._

_After watching Winry yell at her dog while crying her eyes out, the boys ran home; not wanting to watch Pinako wash the blood from Den's front. The brothers had told their mother what happened with the cat while crying in her arms. She shushed them quietly as she rocked both back and forth. _

Ed was in full panic as Den glared at him. He knew he couldn't run due to his disability, if only he had remembered the dog before coming here! The dog growled again warning him of the attack about to come. Ed's eyes darted around, but not leaving Den for more then a few seconds.

Then he spotted the tree with the Rockbell's homemade shower on it directly be hide him. Ed's eyes snapped back to Den then he turned around and made a B-line to the tree. The dog had taken off as soon as Ed moved so he was right on his tail. Ed's heart pounded against his ribs as the dog was quickly caught up. He almost felt the hot breath on his neck when he reach the tree and shot up it. Den hit the tree with a loud 'CRACK'. The impact almost knocked Ed out of the tree. Ed hoped that the dog was rendered unconscious but his hopes were quickly dashed.

The dog backed up shaking his head side to side then looked up into the tree. Ed was painting…hard…but he was safe. Den barked and barked and barked. It was well past half an hour when someone finally came to Ed rescue.

**Winry's POV**

Winry was wiping tears away as she went out of the back door. She had told Grandma that she would check what Den was barking at this whole time. He started awhile ago so they where wondering what got the dog so crazy.

"Den you stupid dog what are you barking at? You're driving me and Grandma crazy." Winry came up to the dog and bonked him on the head with her favorite wrench, not nearly as hard as she would if it was Ed. Although, if it was Ed she would have most likely have hugged him to death rather than beaten him to death if he was there. She sighed.

The dog wined and backed away from the tree and sat besides her wining sadly. Winry walked under the tree and looked up. A pair of gold eyes met her; she had only seen that shade of melted honey on one person before. Her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat. You could say she was overwhelmed by joy until she saw who (or what) owned the set of eyes.

"Meow!" It sounded hopeful yet sad at the same time.

"Oh," she said in a deflated tone. Her eyes started to water again. "I guess it was hopeless to think that it was him." She became gloomier than before. She looked back up at the cat, "You probably don't know that any cat that sets foot near this house is pretty much done for."

There was an irritated meow from the little cat.

"Well, if you knew what was going to happen then why are you here?"

There was a muffled meow this time, like it was admitting something embarrassing. The cat turned away then snapped his head down to look at her with surprised and gave a loud meow; it gave her the expression that the cat was talking to her. Winry tilted her head and stared at the cat for a minute, and it stared back.

"Yah know, if I didn't know better I'd say you can understand me and are talking back!"

The cat looked disheartened at that statement.

"You stay there cat and I will go chain Den up so you can come down."

The cat gave a snort of anger and laid down on the branch it was sitting on and averted its eyes. Winry would have giggled at it but her mood didn't allow it so she turned and called Den to follow her. He was hesitant to leave the cat but he followed his master.

Once she chained the dog, she went back to the tree to find the cat still up in it. She had thought that the cat would have bolted once the dog turned his back.

"You're a very obedient cat, yah know?"

The cat gave another muffled meow.

"You can come down now."

The golden cat, as she now realized, gave her the most pathetic face ever.

"Don't tell me you're stuck, are you cat?" she said in and irritated voice.

Again a muffled meow.

"You're not that high up. You can jump or climb down"

The cat gave her a wary look then looked at the ground below it then gave a pathetic meow to match its face.

"Look at me; I'm talking to a cat!"

She sighed "All right," she turned and grabbed an empty crate that had once held parts for automail.

She put it under the tree and climbed on it. The branch the cat was on was the one that had the homemade shower on it so it wasn't that high up. She grabbed the cat and brought it down. She was shocked to find the cat was missing its left leg. She could tell it was ether born that way or the damage was inflicted at a young age because there was no hole, blood, hair loss, or even scar to indicate that it was recent. She was also surprised at its weight; the cat weighed little to nothing.

"Geez cat, you sure are small."

The cat was fine until she said that. It spit at her and clawed her hand. She dropped it and stared as it hissed and spit at her, and then the cat just stopped and looked at her like nothing happened.

"I…you…um…"

Her mind was blank. Her eye locked onto the golden cat in front of her. It looked back at her with a tilt of its head.

She picked up the cat and took it inside.

**Well… second chapter done…**

**Please tell me what I can do to make my writing better**

**Flame me, praise me, beat the living shit out of me, I don't care.**

**Just review, I'm begging you! **

**Dying Heart Alchemist **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello there!**

**How've you been?**

**Hope you like my story!**

**Here is the next chapter (singing)**

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Ch.3 You have his eyes

"Yah Grany it did that!" Winry said in an amused tone.

"Well of all the days to find a cat like this," Pinako said looking at him.

Ed was sitting on the kitchen counter looking at the two people in front of him. They were talking about him. Winry had taken him inside, which was surprising to him because to them he was a stray cat. When his childhood friend started to talk to him in the tree, he was hopeful that they can hear him talk but it turned out she was guessing what he was saying. As he listened to their conversation he found out the reason he was whisked inside.

Winry had found it amusing that he hated to be called short and immediately thought that he was like 'Ed' and wanted to show Grany. As the two where talking his stomach gave a loud growl which turned their attention him. His stomach growled again.

"I bet the poor thing is hungry," Grany said.

Ed gave a grateful meow.

"I'll get it something Grandma," Winry said.

She turned around and got a saucer out of the cupboard and went to the fridge. She got something and poured it into it out of his view. She turned and set the saucer in front of him. He sniffed it and hissed.

"This is milk, I hate milk!" Ed yelled, but to the people besides him it was hisses and angry meows.

"I guess it's more like Ed then we realized." Pinako said as Winry took the milk away.

"Apparently he is.…That was a waste of milk."

"Serves you right for putting that stuff in front of me." Ed huffed. Again only meows were heard.

"Well we could give it leftovers from breakfast." Winry said.

"Yes please!" Ed smiled, which was weird looking to the Rockbells.

Cats don't smile for a reason Ed thought as he caught himself in the reflection of a semi-clean pot in the sink, it's just plain creepy.

Winry turned to the fridge and pulled out some scrambled eggs and bacon. Ed's stomach gave another loud growl when he saw them.

"Greedy little thing," Winry said under her breath.

"WHO YOU CALL'N SO SMALL YOU CAN'T DISTINGUSH HIM FROM THE GRIANS OF WOOD IN THE TABLE!" Ed's back was arched and his tail was puffed out.

"Oh just shut up and eat," Winry put down the food and walked away. "Damn cat… if it _was_ Ed, there would be a wrench in his head already."

This shut Ed up right away. Even though he now had claws and teeth to defend himself with, who knows what that wrench would do to his tiny cat skull.

He looked down at the eggs and bacon and meowed thankfully. Even if she was abusive, she did make good food.

"You better enjoy that, I'm giving you some of Den's dog food next meal… if we decide to keep you that long." There was an evil gleam in her eyes as she said that.

Ed shuddered and looked down at the food in front of him. He intended to enjoy every bite after hearing that.

After he was done eating, his limbs felt like lead. That walk here was catching up to him. The food in his belly wasn't helping much (other than keeping him from starving to death he thought). Ed decided that he could live with it and made his way to the guest bedroom to sleep. The stares were the worst, having three legs wasn't the greatest thing in the world. Once he made it to the second floor he felt half dead. As soon as he got to the bedroom he used the rest of his strength to jump onto the bed and curled up on the pillow. He wasn't going to move anytime soon.

He felt a hand on his side, it was stroking him. It felt good, a rumble started to come from his throat. He laughed in his head; _'hehehe, I'm purring. That goes in the book of the weirdest things I've ever done. Winry or Grany must have found me and are petting me.' _

Ed stretched and gave a little meow. He cracked his eyes to see who it was petting him. His eyes flung open when he caught sight of who it was.

"What the… is that you…Al? Y-you got you body back." Ed stared at the boy petting him. He felt tears coming to his eyes.

"Oh, I see you found our little guest"

Both of the Elric's eyes went to the door. Winry was leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed. Ed started to hiss when he heard her call him little but stopped when he heard Al talk.

"When did you guys get a cat?"

Just hearing Alphonse voice was overwhelming. Ed looked up to his brother again and sighed in relief. Al _did_ get his body back, the transmutation _had _worked.

"Actually, we found him today. Den had chased him into a tree and barked at him for about an hour before I rescued him." Winry gave a small smile.

"Why did you bring him inside? I mean you could have taken him to the road and dropped him off there." Al asked while tilting his head.

"Well," Winry look away and blushed. "It reminded me of… well he reminded me of Ed."

Al frowned and tilted his head forward so his eyes were shadowed. He got up off the bed and turned toured Ed. Al bent down and picked Ed up and held him by his armpits. He looked Ed up and down. The light in the room was leaving due to the sun setting, but Ed could make out what Al was wearing. He had on black leather pants, a black shirt with another shirt over it, and to top it off was a red jacket that fell down to past his knees. It was all too familiar to him for he had worn the exact same thing when he served in the military. Ed noticed that Al had grown his hair out too. He was the spitting image of how Ed look before he was a cat… about two years ago (he still had trouble believing that). Also Al looked younger, about twelve or thirteen. The two brother's eyes locked and they stayed that way for a minute or two.

"I guess… it looks a little like him… and he did get worked up when you called him little…" Al said slowly looking Ed over once more and setting him down. "And he is missing his back leg too."

"Yah, he also hissed at the milk I tried to give him earlier and refused to drink it" Winry said trying to get Al to laugh.

Al gave a weak laugh and turned to her and smiled.

"You know Winry; I'm tired after that train ride here so I'm going to go to sleep. If that's all right with you."

"Oh…Ok… If you need anything just ask." Winry gave a small smile then looked back at Ed. "Do you want me to take the cat? If you don't want him in here with you."

Ed looked up at Al and gave a small meow.

Al looked down at him then back at Winry. "No, it's all right it can stay if it wants to."

"Ok then, goodnight Alphonse."

"Goodnight,"

Winry shut the door and walked away. Al sat back down on the bed. He put his hand over his eyes sighed. Ed walked up to him and nudged his other hand that lay at his side. Al looked past his hand over his eyes to look at him.

"You have his eyes you know…cat." He said it with a hint of sadness in his voice.

**Well there you go another chapter! **

**I know… it was a horrible chapter! (Crawls into hole) Feel free to flame.**

**Please review, it's all I have to know if you like it or not.**

**Dying Heart Alchemist.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for the reviews! Special thanks to Beckett Simpleton, Meatbun Attack (luv the name!), and FullMetalFangirl, you guys made me happy you even commented. When I saw I had 6 comments I nearly died with joy! (Damn weak heart ). **

**I will now give you another chapter for I do not deserve such great authors' attention!**

**I just had TCAP testing today (WTF with the name change, huh?), and will be testing all this week. **

**Enjoy! **

Return

Ch.4 Little brother

Edward couldn't sleep. His thoughts were clouding his mind. Alphonse was sleeping silently as Ed sat there next to him watching the rise and fall of Al's chest.

"_You have his eyes you know…cat."_

_Ed looked into Al's eyes as a stray tear fell down his younger brother's face. Ed was startled at this and watched as more tears start to fall._

"_Your fur feels like his hair to," Al looked at him with a small smile._

"_It's been two years since I last felt it but I remember it clearly. Actually has been over six but I can't remember the time I spent with brother after the human transmutation." _

_Ed looked at him with shock._

"_Winry, Grany, and all the people at the military said I spent those years in a suite of armor looking with Ed to find a way to get our bodies back. They said that I lost my whole body and brother lost his leg and arm when we tried to get mother back." Al's tears were silent but they were leaking out like waterfalls._

_Ed moved to comfort his brother but all he could do was butt his head against his arm and purr. He felt useless, but Al grabbed him and hugged him. Crying into Ed fur, Al hiccupped and continued._

"_I woke up in a field near our house and when I saw the house burnt down I ran here. Pinako was shocked when I ran into the house looking for brother. I almost fainted when I saw Winry, she was older. I asked what was going on and where brother was and they told me that I was traveling with him looking for the stone. Nothing made sense. I yelled and cried for awhile." Al's face was hidden in Ed's side so his voice was muffled._

"_After that I ran out to go look for Ed but I didn't make it past the drive way when I clasped. I woke up again but this time in this bed. Winry was right by me when I woke up and told me my body was still recovering from the time it was in the gate. She called the military and someone came. His name was Cornel Mustang and I later found out he was a friend brother and I had when I was a suite of armor. I told him I remember nothing of the four years with brother and that all I did remember was the transmutation then… nothing."_

_Ed started to purr to show that he was there to help. Al just hugged him tighter._

"_I guess I couldn't take the stress so my body went into a coma for about a week and when I woke up… I could remember the gate… but nothing after that. _

_Ed gasped "You were in a coma!"_

_Al mistook the gasp and meow as a sign he was holding on to tight. He immediately put Ed down in his lap._

"_Sorry… I just haven't told this story to anyone else."_

_Ed felt bad so he curled up on Al's lap and started to purr again. A small smile came to Al's tear stained face._

"_Hehe, I guess you want to hear more? Well I stayed here in Resembool for a little over six months then I decided to join the army like brother. I couldn't stand not doing any thing. The military had clamed Ed dead when they found his clothes in the city under central but I just knew he wasn't dead so I joined the army to look for him."_

_His tears had stopped and a small shimmer of hope crossed his eyes. Ed gave a soft meow to show that he believed his brother. Even though he was right in front of him and he could stop his searching. Al smiled and hugged him again. The next thing Al said was so quiet if Ed didn't have his enhanced hearing he would have missed it._

"_Thank you, it feels great that someone else believes."_

And now Ed watched his baby brother sleep.

'He joined the military, just for me. He became a dog to find me.' Ed thought. He lay on the pillow by Alphonse's head and fell asleep purring. Two words escaped Ed's mouth as his consciousness slipped but this time in English.

"Little brother"

**Alphonse's POV**

He had awoken when the sun filtered through the glass of the window. He had always been an early riser, buy his big brother was a different story. Although he didn't like it when his brother overslept, he would give anything to hear him snoring again.

Suddenly his head felt like it was cracked open. Al doubled up in pain as he curled up and put his head between his legs. He trashed and kicked as his head throbbed with pain.

Soon pictures started to flash behind his eyelids. Some of his brother's back, Ed was wearing the red cloak he now wore with their teacher's insignia on the back. Others were of him fighting an enemy that he couldn't quite make out. And the rest were of places he had just heard about or people he was told he had met. Then at the very end, a suit of armor came into view and stay there for a good while, Al couldn't tell if it was seconds or hours but then he knew what these pictures were.

Once the pictures and pain had subsided he uncurled himself and looked up. The gold cat was looking at him with worried eyes then it gave him a meow that was full of concern. Al reached out and patted the cat on the head.

"It's ok, I just…" the full situation hit him then. His smile widened. "I just got my memory back!" he yelled then clamped his hand over his mouth. Then he whispered through his hand, "I just got my memory back, I just got my memory back! I remember brother and the time we spent searching for the stone!" His smile then turned into a frown. "And now I remember what happened in the underground city."

The military had questioned him about what happed in the city under central but he had no memory of it so they left him alone. Now he remembered the fight with Envy and he remembered the spike that Envy had thrown through Ed's heart. He remembered using the Philosopher's stone that was embedded into his soul to bring him back. Al remembered standing in front of the gate and then being pulled back away from it. He remembered every detail from the fearful trip to the Rockbell's that faithful night with Ed about to die in his hands, to the moment he woke up ten years old again.

Alphonse hugged his legs while still lying on his side. He closed his eyes real tight and stayed there for while concentrating only on the sound of his heartbeat, the one he lacked when he was a suite of armor.

He didn't know when he started to tremble but stopped when he felt something cold and wet touch his forehead. He opened his eyes and looked up at the cat with the o-so-familiar eyes. He reached up and petted it receiving a loud purring in exchange.

"Thanks, I needed that. You have so many features that are like him, you'd think that would drive me away from you but it actually makes me want you by my side all the time." Al gave a loud sigh and sat up.

Once he got himself together he went to go take a shower. He was covered in sweat from the earlier ordeal. The cat followed him out of the room but stopped at the stares. Once Al got to the bottom he looked back to see the cat trying to maneuver down the stares without one leg. He laughed at the poor thing then climbed up and grabbed it under the belly and took it outside with him.

Al took his shower then went back indoors. The cat had apparently listened to his earlier comment about him wanting it by his side always because it stayed with him. As he watched the sun rise higher into the sky, Winry came down from her room.

"Good morning Alphonse," she stretched "how was your night?"

"Alright, he slept with me all night though." Al pointed to the cat sitting next to him,

Winry blinked at the cat which stared back at her.

"He seems to like you a lot, Al."

"And I like him a lot too."

"…you have always had a soft spot for cats Al."

She just looked between the twelve year old and the cat. Then she surged and turned around to start making breakfast for her and her grandmother.

"Would you like some eggs too?" she asked over her shoulder.

A yes and a meow were heard. Winry turned and looked at the cat strait in the eye.

"I told you the next meal you where having was some of Den's dog food." There was acid in her voice.

This made the cats cower and look down. He started to move his right paw in a small circle. Then the cat looked up at Winry without moving his head, giving her a look of pure sadness. She held he gaze a little longer but caved in.

"Ok already, you can have some too."

The cat gave a meow of triumph and started to purr. When the cat noticed he was purring he immediately stopped and looked away from the two humans. Al swore he saw a hint of red under the fur on its cheeks.

"I guess you _are_ too small to eat the dog food we have for Den, you'd choke." Winry said holding back a laugh. She turned around and cracked an egg.

The cat's head snapped back to the girl and he started to arch its back but stopped at the sight of and egg being dropped onto a hot skillet. A mouth watering sizzling sound filled the kitchen. The cat took one look at the egg and settled with an annoyed look in fear of eating dog food for breakfast.

Alphonse was holding back laughter too. That cat was more like Ed every second he was awake.

**I can not spell so there will be a lot of typos from me.**

**I just rely on the spell check and so some of the words are not what they are meant to be. Sorry!**

**Dying Heart Alchemist**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yay another chapter!**

**Like hope you! (That was on purpose or should I say purr-pose?)**

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Ch.5 Grave

Ed was sitting on his younger brother's lap. His stomach was pleasantly full with eggs.

Al was absent mindedly running his hand down Ed back as he and Winry talked. Ed was trying and failing at trying not to purr. He was never one to let his emotions out, but the purring was an involuntary action as Al petted him. Al was telling her what had been going on in central since he last visited. Ed found out his little brother's code name as he listened.

'The soul alchemist… ha, that make sense' he thought.

"So how long are they letting you stay?" Winry asked.

"Mustang gave me a week off."

"So are you planning to stay here the whole time?"

"Yah, if it's all right with you and Grany."

"Of coarse Al, this is your home too!" Then her face fell. "Did you visit… it… on your way here?"

Ed had no idea what _it _was, but Al stopped petting him.

"No… I didn't. I was going to go later today." His face was filled with sorrow and he didn't meet Winry in the eye.

"Ok then…" She looked then at Ed. The edges of her mouth giving a twitch. Then she smiled and looked back up at Al.

"What do you think of the cat Al?"

Al gave a jerk then looked at Winry; Ed guessed that he was lost in his thoughts.

"Oh aaa… the cat? H-he does really remind me of Ed. I guess that's why I like it so much." Al looked down at Ed and he looked back, this time giving out a purr on his own accord.

"Well Grandma and I can't keep him because of Den. Maybe we should look for the owner."

"S-sure," he looked sideways again "do you think…if we don't find an owner by the time I leave," Al looked a little embarrassed, a small blush coming to his cheeks. "that maybe…I could take him back to central?"

Ed looked at his brother shocked, was he wanting to take him because was a stray cat like he always did or because Al liked how much he acted like himself (or in their term 'Ed').

Winry looked taken aback but then smiled. "Absolutely Al! But what about mission you get away from central? What will you do with him then?"

"I got some really nice neighbors in my apartment; they can feed him when I go on those types of missions. But usually I don't usually get a lot of them because I'm still 'just a kid' to them."

"Well Al, with your memory gone of those four years you kind of are only twelve."

"Actually, Winry…" his voice dropped to a whisper. "I remember."

Both her and Ed's eyes grew wide.

"W-what d-did you s-say. Y-you remember!" her voice a whisper too.

"Yah, the years I was in the armor." His face brightening "I remember brother and everything!"

Ed wanted to jump up and hug Al when he said that. His little brother got his memory back! He started to purr loudly at seeing the look of joy on Al's face.

"I woke up this morning and started to remember. I'm so glad."

Ed stopped purring. Was that the pain Al was in this morning?

"That's great Al! You now remember those years of your life!"

"Ha, now my brain is now sixteen, but my body's still twelve." He looks himself over.

From the kitchen Pinako calls, "Winry sorry to interrupt but don't you have to have that part done for that customer?"

"Oh crap! I forgot!" She jumped up and ran to her work station. "Sorry Al, but a really important customer is coming to pick up a part of automail tomorrow and I'm not even close to getting it done!"

"That's alright; I'll just help Grany around the house. I _am_ here for a week you know." He stood up after moving Ed off his lap. He gave a mild protest from moving but let Al set him on the couch.

Winry was already too deep in concentration with her work to reply. Al left the room to go ask Pinako what he can help with. Ed stretched already board. He decided to have a nap, not sure if it was animal instinct or he was just tired. Cats did sleep a lot he thought drifting to sleep.

Growling woke him up. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and yawned. He looked around to face something by the couch. His heart stopped as he came face to face with Den. Den growled pulling back his lips to show his teeth.

"OH CRAP!" he jumped up and retreated to the top to the couch. Den put his front paws on the cushions of the couch and reached out to grab Ed in his mouth.

"Winry, Al, Pinako, help!" he shrieked still meows.

"I'm going to snap your neck before they can come, _cat._"

Ed looked wide eyed at where he heard the voice come from. Den was talking! His brain did summersaults.

"Y-you can talk!"

"Of course I can talk cat. You think I'm dumb?" Den growled at him coming closer.

Den was about to lung at Ed when Alphonse came running into the room.

"Den! No! Bad dog!"

Den backed down and back onto the floor. Looking at Al then back at Ed.

"I'll get you cat." He growled before leaving.

Al watched the dog leave then rushed over to Ed. Ed literally flew into his little brother's arms.

"Damn dog," Ed muttered as he tried to stop shaking.

Al smiled as he looked at Ed.

"You should learn to stay away from him kitty. He hates cats."

"That's going to be hard seeing we are living in the same house." Ed muttered into Al's shirt. Al smiled just hearing grumblely meows.

Al left the room carrying Ed in his arms. Soon Al made it to the front door. He yelled back into the house as he opened the door.

"I'm going to take a walk, maybe ask around if any one is missing a crippled cat."

Pinako replied from somewhere in the house, and they left.

Walking down the road, the sun beat down on the two Elrics. They had passed a few of the town's people and Al asked if they knew anyone who owned the cat in his hands. All of them said no as Ed expected. When they turned away from one of the farmers they had talked to, Ed recognized the road they were on and had a good idea where they were going.

His hunch was correct when they turned and walked past a stone wall. The crematory hadn't changed since he last saw it. They walked toured a tree near the back. That was where the brother's mother was buried. As they neared the grave, Ed noticed a new one next to his mothers. A sick twisting feeling in his stomach started when he thought he knew who it was for. As Al walked in front of it Ed felt his stomach drop out of his body.

Edward Elric

1905-1921

The Fullmetal

Alchemist

**You know, in a way… we all have dying hearts.**

**Dying Heart Alchemist**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for reading it his far!**

**I reward you with one of my mom's burnt banana chocolate chip muffins (They _still_ taste awesome burnt!)**

**What does the name of the chapter make you think?**

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Ch.6 Dog Food

In a way, you could say Ed's mind shut down after he read the tombstone. You could also say he passed out with out taking his senses, cause after a few hours he could tell you exactly what happened after he visited his own grave. But at the moment he couldn't tell which way was up and which way was down. He knew they thought he was dead but he wasn't ready for this…

**Alphonse's POV**

He was looking at his brother's empty grave, but he knew it didn't need to be there. His brother _was _alive. No one could tell him his brother was truly gone. He wasn't foolish enough to try human transmutation again, but he was sure as hell wished his brother was back.

Then the cat in his arms went rigid. He looked down to see if the cat wanted to walk around after being in his arms for so long, but as he looked, the cat started to twitch uncontrollably. He dropped the cat after it clawed him in his arm. This turned out to be a mistake, because the cat landed on its side with a muted thump. The poor thing let out a yowl unanimal in every way. Al looked in horror as it started to twitch even more violently, sending shivers down his own back.

"Oh my God, are you alright little thing?" He bent down and touched the cat as it gave out more mutilated meows.

He watched it as its eyes started to roll up into the back of its head. The twitching hadn't stopped and tears where coming to Al's eyes. Not many cat lovers like him could watch this, heck not many people in general could watch this.

Al griped his hair and his tears started to drip onto the ground beside the cat. After waging a war in his head for a few seconds he decided he couldn't leave the cat to get help. He gently put his hands under the crippled cat and picked it up. Making sure he didn't jostle it to much he started to run back to the Rockbell's. Then he remembered that it would take him ten minutes to get back even if he ran, so he changed his direction and ran the other way torwed another resident that was closer.

It took him a minute and a half to get there and the poor animal in his arms didn't stop with the noise and twitching the whole time. He knocked on the door hoping she was there.

"Hello?" a voice said as the door opened.

'Um hello Mrs. Calson could you please help me? This cat, I don't know what is wrong with it!" at that moment the animal gave a particularly nasty yowl and blood started to come out its mouth.

Both people gasped.

"You better come in." Mrs. Calson said in a worried voice.

Turning around she went into the house and Al followed.

Mrs. Calson was a retired veterinarian; Al was relived when he remembered she lived near the crematory. She retired to Resembool in her late 70's after her husband died of cancer. She is a very nice lady that helped the small populist with emergences involving their animals. She was also very beautiful even in her old age. Her hair was a black with many gray hairs in it and still gave off an unnatural glow. Her cheek bones were high and much defined, as for her eyes they are a very dark brown and very pretty. Her frame looked sturdy for an old woman and strong, it reminded him of his teacher's.

She told Al to set the cat on a stainless steel examining table in the back of her house in a small room. The golden eyed cat was still bleeding from the mouth as the twitches got worse (if that was even possible). Mrs. Calson said something that made Al think back to a small gray cat in Den's jaws.

"Oh my, I think-" she started but was cut off by Al.

"No, no it can't be too late!" he sobbed.

"It's not to late child, it's just in shock." She explained turning to the cupboards in the room filed with medical equipment for animals. "It's a very serious stage of shock and can prove futile if we don't act soon, when did it start this?"

Al looked at her as his shoulders dropped in relief.

"About three or four minutes ago, we were at the crematory at my brothers grave." He explained.

"We better hurry then," she said treating the cat.

After a few minutes the cat's twitching stopped and it lies still. The yowls stopped soon after. Mrs. Calson had given it a shot to calm it.

"There, now it should be better in a few more minutes, but it will more than likely pass out from the neural stain." She looked at Al.

"Thank you Mrs. Calson, I don't know what I would have done for this little guy if you weren't here. What do I owe you?"

"How bout staying for a while and listening to an old lady ramble?"

"Sure, but I still need to pay you for this. I can't just stay and chat… I owe you more than that!"

"Nonsense! I'm retired so I do this just for the animal's sake!"

"But-"

"No buts, beside your stuck here till he wakes up, which will be awhile. He can't be moved till then." She said pointing to the cat. "I have to also give him a check up on him before you leave to make sure he will be alright."

"Thanks again,"

"No problem Alphonse."

They walked out of the room and into the living room. They sat down and continued the chat that Al had promised the old vet. She asked when he got back in town and how he was doing being a military 'dog'. Almost every one in town disliked the military in general but couldn't dislike the young Elrics for joining it, both Ed and Al. They talked about other stuff like the festival coming up and just talked about everything in general. She stayed away from the topic of the boy's brother since she knew it was around the time he had died. She knew the pain in losing someone close to you.

About and hour later, small meow broke their conversation. They got up and moved back into the room to see the cat sitting up and yawning.

"Meow?"

"Good to see you are alright little cat." Mrs. Calson said.

Al expected the cat to get mad and throw a tantrum at being called little but he just gave her an irritated look and growl.

**Ed's POV**

He had passed out once Mrs. Calson stuck a shot in him. He had woken up after what felt like forever in total darkness. His head swam. He didn't know he would react that way seeing his grave. He actually wasn't sure if he would have survived that if Al hadn't taken him here.

"Uh, that isn't something I want to do again." He said, still tasteing blood in his mouth.

He shook his head which resulted in what felt like an explosion in his head. He stopped and the head ache went away. Then Al and Mrs. Calson walked in. He yawned and gave them a meow.

"Good to see you are alright little cat." He heard through the soft throbs in his head.

He had decided that he was indeed 'little' in this body so that was the only insult he was going to allow for the time being. But he was still going to give the vet a glare and growl to warn her not to call him a pipsqueak. Al looked surprised and confused.

"He usually gets mad at you if you call him small." Al said still looking confused.

"He probably knows I just saved his life, that's why." Mrs. Calson said with her hands on her hips.

"Well that's part of it," Ed muttered averting his eyes to the right.

"Well Al," she said turning to Alphonse. "I'll just check him over and you can go."

"Ok… are you sure I don't owe you more?" He said knitting his brows.

"Oh don't you start that again, giving an old lady some company is the best payment you can give." She came over to Ed with a stethoscope.

At the word 'company' his mind wondered to some things that would make Winry beat him with her wrench till he bled to death. 'No Ed, that's your baby brother you're thinking about! She is about seven times his age! You're the worst brother ever!'

She checked him over and deemed him healthy to go. As Al walked out the front door he turned back to say goodbye.

"You come back now, but next time make sure it's not when an animal is about to die! Ok?" she said from the door.

"Can do Mrs. Calson!" Al said waving as he walked away.

When she closed the door Al turned forward and continued walking. His smile faded but kept looking forward.

"Hay cat? Why did you go into shock when you saw my brother's grave?" His eyes still looking forward but his eyebrows came together.

Ed just looked up at his brother. "Because it was_ my_ grave…" but it was just meows like always.

Al looked even more troubled by that his answer. "I wish I could understand you cat, cause I know you can understand me."

"I wish you could understand me too,"

By the time they got back to the house the sun was low in the sky. Almost touching the edge of the sky. When they got inside there was a blur of blond and metal when there was a wrench in Al's head.

"Owwww, Winry? Why did you do that?" Al said rubbing the spot where the wrench had hit.

"Where have you been Al? Granny and I were getting worried. She said you went to look for the owner of the cat. I guess you didn't find them since you still have him in your arms." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Actually, there was an accident and I had to take him to Mrs. Calson." Al said gesturing to Ed in his arms.

This time the wrench connected to Ed's head. "Owwww, crazy female what was that for? He just said I had to go to the doctor!"

"Stupid cat… what did it do Al?" she asked after glaring at the cat.

"It went into shock when I visited brother's grave. I have no idea why."

"Ed's grave? That is weird." Her face went from anger to puzzlement. "Do you think the cat has a condition?"

"No, Mrs. Calson said it isn't a condition and that the cat was truly shocked into that state. The only thing I can think of is that it saw brother's grave, but I have no clue why that would shock it."

Ed started to squirm, he had been in Al's arms most of the day he wanted to walk on his own two, or three legs, now. Al looked down at him to make sure he wasn't going into shock again, then when he realized he just wanted down he bent down and set Ed on the floor. Ed looked up at Al then walked away. He heard Al and Winry continue their conversation but didn't care. She was just asking what the vet had said.

After a few minutes Pinako called from the kitchen, "Winry, Al, the foods done! Come and eat!"

Ed ears perked up at the word food and he ran to the kitchen. There he saw Pinako pulling out a chicken from the oven. His mouth watered at the sight of the golden brown bird. But his hopes were dashed as he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He turned around.

"What do you think you're doing cat?" It was Winry her eyes were shaded but sparkles were visible. "Do you think you're going to get some of that chicken?"

He gulped at the sight of the wrench by her side. "N-no, I-I w-w-wasn't."

"I hope you didn't have your heart set on having that but you get this." A bowl came out of nowhere filled with shapeless chunks soaked in brown liquid. "This is more appropriate for an animal, don't you think?" She set it in front of him and he sniffed it.

"What the fuck it this? Dog food? No way am I eating that! It's- It's for- for DOGS!" As he said that his stomach gave a loud growl.

"Well cat, it's that or you die of starvation."

As she sat down next to Al she gave Ed one last look before grabbing one leg of the chicken and put it on her plate. His stomach gave another growl. He could see her smile which ticked him off. He looked back down at the bowl with the brown chunks of meat swimming in gravy. He gave it another sniff and this time it didn't smell all that bad. One last look at his family eating at the table, he bent in to take the first bite.

**What would you have done in his position?**

**Winry was armed with her wrench, what else could he have done?**

**Poor Ed…**

**Dying Heart Alchemist**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello little people!**

**I guess I'm not all bad if you are reading this so….**

**Try not to get killed reading this _horrible_ chap!**

**I am adding things from brotherhood in here also.**

**(Nibbles on cookie) I love sugar! Weeeeeeeeeee!**

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Ch.7 The Gate

It had been five days since Ed first ate some of Den's dog food, and he found that it wasn't half bad. Every now and then though, he was able to slip a piece of food from Al. He loved his little brother more every time something tasty landed onto the floor by Al's feet. Although…he still had trouble with the Rockbell's dog, every time Den saw him in the kitchen eating his food he charged Ed. That is why he never ate alone. He made sure either to get who ever was giving him his lunch or dinner (he was lucky enough to share his breakfast with Al, even _with_ Winry's complaints) to put him on the counter and feed him or have them near by just in case.

Al and Winry had stopped asking around if anyone knew him. Ed knew no one would because he didn't belong to anyone. Den only attacked him if he was eating on the floor in the kitchen or if he was somewhere he shouldn't be. The dog was strict with the rules of the house, which he had explained to Ed as the cat perched safely out of his reach on top of a wardrobe in the guest bedroom. He'd explained that Ed couldn't 'go' in the house (he used the toilet which, was amusing to everyone on two legs), no scratching up furnisher, he can't eat Den's food (he tried unsuccessfully to explain to the dog that his 'master' wouldn't give him anything else), and he couldn't steal food from the 'masters'.

He followed his rules, relatively, but as you know cats are not at all obedient, they did what ever they wanted. So he followed suite. The only time that backfired is when he 'wandered' into Winry's room as she was getting changed. She just looked at the cat then continued changing. He was just another dumb animal in her eyes so he got an eye full (not that he was complaining much but she _is_ his childhood friend). He fell down the stares trying to get out of there without seeing more than under her shirt. Al found Ed with a nosebleed (not from the stairs mind you), got concerned and took me to the bathroom to check him over.

It was a…fun…few days, but being a crippled cat was getting tiresome. He'd rather be a crippled _human_ again.

After dinner he followed Al back to the guest room. Ed had slept there with Al every night. Winry and Pinako watch as he still tried to condor the stairs and (like always) fail. He did make it up them eventually but after struggling for a while. He couldn't tell which was harder going up or coming down, both were equally hard. By the time he was in the room and on the bed he was exhausted but he felt a little different then normal. He brushed off the feeling and fell asleep even before Al got in bed beside him. Ed closed his eyes as the weird feeling grew.

Then there was white.

He looked around the ever expanding white and noticed a dark looming shape behind him. He turned around fast to see the gate before him. Its dark doors with a tree like engraving on the front.

For the first time he noticed he was human…and whole. He was wearing his old clothes, minus the red jacket. Admiring his body and the feel of his muscles he had been without for so long he suddenly felt the presents of someone. He turned back to the extensive white to see a figure with a hazy outline.

"Hello, Edward." A thousand voices said at once.

"Truth." Ed said in an unimpressed voice.

"Do you know why I brought you here?" the voices continued.

"Does it have to do something with my 'predicament'?" Ed guessed but knowing he was correct.

"Yes! You were right on that one."

"Tell me Truth, what do you want."

"Oh dear Edward, this is about what _you_ want."

"Can you enlighten me about that?"

"So you want to stay a cat?" his big grin turned to a frown odiously just for show, he was probably happy as a clam to do this to Ed.

"Of coarse not… My family and friends thinks I'm dead! Why would I want that?"

"So you will listen to what I have to say?"

"Go ahead, I can't stop you."

"Ok, I have a deal for you," Truth, whose mouth was back into a freaky grin, tilted his head slightly to the side. "I will give you your original body back, as you stand here, in exchange for something of great value to you."

Ed narrowed his eyes. "And what would that be?"

Truth's grin got even larger (if that was possible). "Hehehe… your _brother_."

"NO WAY IN HELL I WOULD TRADE MY OWN LITTLE BROTHER FOR MY OWN SAKE, I ALREADY PROVED THAT GIVING MY _OWN_ BODY TO BRING HIM BACK YOU BASTARD!" Ed would never put his own desires above his brother.

"That was my expected answer, but I at least thought you would think about it."

"No, never! Al is the only thing I care about above all others!"

"So that is you final answer? No persuading you? Ok then, but I will give you a hint just because I what to see how you do, in your new body that is." Truth's voice was starting to give Ed a head ache. "Your emotions are the key to find a way."

"The way to what!" but he was already being pulled into the gate by black shadow hands. The last thing he saw was the endless white and the wide grin on Truth's nonexistent face. Then darkness, but this was warm darkness not the cold kind that makes you relive your worst nightmares over and over.

Ed shot up and looked around. He was back in the guest room at the Rockbell's. He panicked until the saw Al's sleeping form on the bed beside him. Letting out a sigh of relief he curled up to Al's back. It was dark in the room but with he cat eyes he could see as well in the dark as if it were day. Nothing caught his eye until he looked by the bed. Al's red coat that was oh so like his was draped acrossed a chair near the end of the bed. A small piece of folded paper was sticking out of one of the side pockets. Ed jumped off the bed and went to the coat. He pulled out the paper. It was a letter and by the looks of it, it was read a lot. The folds were fragile and the writing was faded so much he could hardly see it.

Ed strained to read it.

To Mr. Alphonse Elric,

We are sorry to inform you that Mr. Edward Elric's clothes have been found in the water ways under central. They are torn and bloody which leaves us to believe he had not survived the fight that had evidently occurred. Mr. Edward Elric was pronounced dead at 12:43pm Monday afternoon on May 2 by Major Ron Bentsen after intensive searching through the city with no results. We offer our condolences while similar letter will be sent to a Mrs. Pinako K. Rockbell and Miss Winry J. Rockbell which we have received information that they are at the location you are residing.

Sorry for your loss,

Lieutenant Miya Pendleton

His death was just popping up everywhere wasn't it? But did he really die? He was here right now but in a different body. Was he reincarnated so he could never get his body back, or was he just transformed into this form? So many questions yet no strait answers. Also what did that thing Truth had said? Your emotions are the key to find the way? What was that about, how could his emotions help? The questions were just endless and no answers in sight.

He heard Al shift while still sleeping. He folded the paper and put it back into the pocket of the coat. He hopped back onto the bed and lay by his little brothers head.

"It must be hard on you, Al, but I'm here now so don't worry anymore."

Al shifted again and opened his eyes briefly.

"Br...other…" his eyes closed leaving Ed to look at him stunned.

Had Al heard him, or was Al just dreaming? Had he spoken English with out realizing it? How had he done it? How can he do it again to tell his brother who he is? This mind was in turmoil till the sun rose waking up his brother.

"Oh, good morning cat. Nice to see you're actually up this early!" Al's face was cheery and bright.

Ed just looked at he brother and smiled slightly, as Al stretched and yawned.

"Cat, we haven't thought of a name for you yet. I mean, it seems you don't have an owner so we need a name for you other than 'Cat'."

Ed just scoffed "Knowing you Al, you'd give me a name like 'fuzzy' or 'cutie'. No way are you calling me that."

Al just looked at me with a smile "I knew you would agree with me!"

"That's not what I said." He grumbled as they left the room.

**Not sure what I was going to put in the letter so I just winged it.**

**Hope this chapter didn't burn your eyes out to read it.**

**Many thanks,**

**Dying Heart Alchemist**


	8. Chapter 8

**I have nothing to say at the moment…**

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Ch. 8 Train Ride

No he wasn't going to play, he wasn't.

Al was dangling a piece of string in front of Ed's face. The past week or so, Al and Winry had been arguing about what they were going to name him. Right now Al was calling him by the newest name he thought of.

"Come on, Butterscotch. I know you like to chase the string."

"Not when you call are me _that_!"

Ed had found he couldn't resist chasing whatever was dragged acrossed the floor. He felt almost giddy the first time he chased a small peace of string that Al had dangled in front of him. He was embarrassed after words and hid under the stairs the rest of the day. He finally came around to the fact that he couldn't resist his cat instincts so played often with Al or Winry.

"I already told you, Toby is a better name." Winry said from the doorway of the room.

"But his fur is a butterscotch color, it fits him." Al said in a winy voice.

"Yesterday you said 'Golden Time Lover' was the perfect name for him."

"Well I was a little off, but Butterscotch is perfect."

"No one asks my opinion…not like you can hear me though." Ed muttered half heartedly.

"Look even he agrees with me." Al mistook his meow.

"And that's why he refuses to play with you when you call him that?"

"Oh, what do you know?"

"Apparently more than you do." Ed said, sick and tired of all the fighting going on about a name for him.

"He looks and acts a lot like Ed, so why not name him that?" Winry yelled in her anger and stomped out of the room. Clearly meaning to hurt Al's feelings by making him remember his brother, but he took it differently then Winry wanted him too.

"Hmm, name him Ed." He looked at Ed thinking. "Well what do you think?"

"Finally some one asks me my opinion!" He purred loudly and started to bat at the string.

"I take it you _don't_ like the name butterscotch?" Ed immediately stopped playing with the string and hissed. "Ok then, I think Winry's right, Ed is a nice name for you. You remind me of him a lot… so, it is fitting."

It would have hurt Ed feelings that his younger brother threw his name around so lightly, _if_ he didn't know that Al believed he was still alive. Even though there was supporting evidence that he was long gone, and having every single person around him constantly telling him that his brother was dead, the young blond never lost hope of seeing his big brother again. It pained Ed to watch this, and pained him even more that he was right in front of the searching boy.

Ed had racked his mind for every way he could tell Alphonse that he was the crippled cat in front of him but all attempts have been shattered. He tried talking (that failed), tried to nudge Al in the right direction by bringing pictures he found around the house of him as a human and trying to get Al to have the right assumption by gestures (also failed…many times), and he tried to write a letter but found that he couldn't write with his paws (Epic fail).

He tried using a pencil at first but that failed then he tried ink on his paws but couldn't write clear enough letters and ran out of room on the paper from his large marks. Using his claw as a point didn't work, he just couldn't hold his arm steady enough and continued to rip the paper. He tried for hours till Alphonse walk in and saw him covered in ink and paper. Al thought that he was going to get poisoned (which was actually a possibility. The amount of ink he swallowed probably wasn't safe…and it tasted horrible.), and quickly swooped him up in his arms and took him to the bath. Not the best experience to be scrubbed raw and then cold the rest of the day.

"Al, are you done packing? Your train leaves in a few hours." Pinako asked from the bottom of the stairs snapping Ed out of his flash back.

Al sighed, "It sounds like you _want_ to get rid of me, Granny." He yelled down to her in a joking matter.

"Yes we do!" came a muffled yell from Winry's room.

"Well it looks like they are kicking us out, doesn't it?" Al said turning to Ed.

"You_ have _been here almost two weeks…well so have I." Ed muttered the last part.

Ed was sucked again into a flashback. It hasn't been fun, living as a cat. The first day to right now have been filled with hearing comments of how he was a 'weird' cat and being mauled by Den, not to mention Al hugging and cuddling him when ever he could (that was just degrading). The worst part had to be the dog food though. Even though he kind of likes how it tastes, just the thought of eating dog food was humiliating.

Al was heading back to central today and he was taking Ed with him. Al wanted to leave a few days before he had to go back to work. Winry and Granny understood that he just wanted to go early for Ed's sake. Al had planed to get his apartment ready for a cat. It actually surprised Ed that he didn't have a cat already. Every time Al found a stray cat on their travels, he begged Ed to let him keep it.

Ed guest that Al didn't want to have an animal cause he traveled a lot, just like when they were looking for a stone. They couldn't keep the cats back then because they never stayed in one place for long. It probably wouldn't have been good for the poor animal if they lugged it around everywhere they went. The reason that Al was actually taking him in was because he actually had a apartment in central he uses a lot, and maybe because he reminded him of 'Brother'.

Soon it was time for them to depart. Ed was walking along Al's left side while Al held his suite case on the other side. Al was waving goodbye while Ed just tried to keep up.

"Darn you missing leg, and why do all my other legs have to be so _short._ Ed stopped in his tracks, "I JUST CALLED MYSELF A BEAN, ..ME!"

Al turned around at Ed's outburst, "Oh, I guess you need help." He giggled.

"NO I DON'T NEED HELP OTHER THAN A THERIPIST." But Al already scooped him up in the arm not carrying the suite case.

Ed struggled for a moment but then gave up. He decided that he didn't want to walk the whole way by himself anyway, so he got comfy. The reached the train in a matter of minutes. Ed couldn't say he missed the times he rode on the train, but he could say he missed riding on them as a human. Al had to stick him in a small wicker basket and put him in the baggage car. You could say Ed wasn't too trilled to be there. It was a ten hour trip from Resembool to Central; Ed didn't feel like being crammed in the small basket for that long.

After about ten minutes on the bouncing train squished into the small space Ed had enough. He started squirming and clawing at the inside of the basket. This proved to be fruitless. He still didn't give up, but somehow he ended up on his back looking up at the underside of the lid a little while later.

"Even with out a leg it's cramped in here." Ed huffed not comfortable at all.

Ether out of instinct or just plain muscle memory, he clapped his paws together and touched the lid of the basket. He imagined it turning to dust. He didn't expect it to actually work but it did.

"Whoa, I didn't think I could perform alchemy in this form. Cool." He looked at his paws with wide eyes. An evil grin appeared on his face as he peered out at the mountains of luggage and boxes in the car with him, maybe this won't be such a boring train ride.

He started to go through the bags that were in there with him. He jumped around opening the latches with his paws or alchemy, mostly with alchemy. He fixed the latches afterwards but left the suite cases and boxes open with the con-tense spread about for any unlucky train attendant unloading this particular car. You could say Ed had a blast for the next ten hours on the train, actually more fun than he ever had on a train.

When they reached Central Ed had a pair of panties on his head and a long sleeved shirt tied around his neck as a cape. The train came to a screeching stop and Ed got rid of his 'costume' and jumped back into his basket. He transmuted the lid back on and made a small hole to look through on the side to see the tendant's face when he walked in to the mess. Not to his disappointment, a minute later a young man walked in wearing a uniform from the station. The look was priceless, the young man's eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped. He stood there a minute in the doorway then he snapped out of his shock. He ran a shaking hand through his short brown hair then rushed out looking like he'd seen a ghost.

Ed just laughed his head off at the look on his face. He calmed down a bit before the tendant was back dragging another one with him. This tendant was older and he had a hard face with a small mustache on his lip. He stepped in and looked around. His face scrunched up like he smelled something bad. Ed held back a laugh with difficulty.

"Who did this?" he asked in a ruff voice.

"I-I don't know sir, it was like this when I walked in." The younger one said.

"Well, get a few others and clean this up. Unload the rest too." The mustached one said and walked out.

"Yes sir… Mr. Bustard." The young one said the last part under his breath. The other one hadn't seemed to notice.

This tipped Ed over the top. He burst out laughing as hard as he could, if his basket allowed it he would have been rolling on his back in laughter. The young attendant's head snapped in his direction. He walked over and picked up Ed's basket. Ed tried to calm down then.

"Hmmm, this has a live animal in it." The tendant said reading the tag on the handle. "Guess I'll go put you out now." He carried Ed out and set him on the ground by some other baggage.

Ed watched him run away to get more helpers for the mess Ed made. Just as he went out of view, Al stepped off the train a little ways off. Al looked around then spotted Ed's basket. He smiled and ran over.

"Did you have a nice ride?" He asked after checking the tag to make sure it was his cat.

"It was the best I've ever had." Ed replied form inside the basket.

Both of them smiled for two totally different reasons as they left the station.

**How was it? I'm actually starting to feel a little confident about this fic! **

**For people who don't know 'Golden Time Lover' is the name of the songs used for the third opening of brotherhood.**

**I have no idea of the ranks in the military so I need advice to where Roy Mustang should be. I was thinking that he was promoted after the end of the series (the first one if you didn't know), but I don't think he has reached furor yet sooooo…what should he be? **

**Review and tell me please. **

**Dying Heart Alchemist**


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